Face plate and door handle assembly

ABSTRACT

An assembly includes a face plate to be assembled selectively with first and second handle assemblies. For assembly with the first handle assembly, a first fixing plate is attached to the face plate, and a sleeve member is inserted into the holes of the face plate and the first fixing plate. A first handle is inserted into the sleeve member and connected to a first returning mechanism. For assembly with the second handle assembly, a second fixing plate is attached to the face plate. A second handle extends through the holes of the face plate and the second fixing plate and connected to a second returning mechanism. Each of the first and second fixing plates has a spring retaining element to engage a spring end of a torsion spring of the first or second returning mechanism.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Utility Application No. 92221923 filed on Dec. 12, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a door handle assembly, more particularly to a door handle assembly associated with a unique face plate mountable on a door.

2. Description of the Related Art

Door handle assemblies basically include a handle which is rotatable to operate a door latch, and a returning mechanism for returning the handle to its original angular position after the handle is rotated. For installation of door handle assemblies on doors, face plates are used to mount and integrate the handle and the returning mechanism into a unitary body. Various forms of face plates have been provided in the art. However, there is no face plate which can accommodate more than one type of handle assembly. Due to a variety of handle constructions, a large amount of face plates with different configurations have to be manufactured, thereby increasing inventory requirements of the face plates. On the other hand, face plates are large in size and require a considerable amount of metal for manufacturing. In order to save inventory costs and material consumption, there is a need of providing a face plate which can accommodate different kinds of handle assemblies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a door handle assembly with a face plate which is simple and which can accommodate different kinds of door handle assemblies.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a kit comprises a first door handle assembly, a second door handle assembly and a face plate which can be assembled selectively with either one of said first and second door handle assemblies and which includes a face plate hole. The first door-handle assembly includes: a first fixing plate for attachment to the face plate, which includes a hole, and a spring retaining element projecting from the first fixing plate opposite to the face plate; a rotary first handle having a connection part; and a first returning mechanism for returning the first handle after the first handle is turned. The first returning mechanism includes a tubular member which extends through the face plate hole and the hole of the first fixing plate and has one end inserted into the connection part, and a spring support connected to the other end of the tubular member and holding a torsion spring which has two opposite spring ends. At least one of the spring ends is engageable with the spring retaining element. The second door handle assembly includes: a second fixing plate for attachment to the face plate, which includes a hole, and a spring retaining element projecting from the second fixing plate oppositely of the face plate; a second returning mechanism including a torsion spring having two spring ends at least one of which is engageable with the spring retaining element of the second fixing plate, and a spring support plate which covers the torsion spring of the second returning mechanism and which has two substantially opposite curved apertures; and a rotary second handle having a connection part extending through the face plate hole and the hole of the second fixing plate and including two curved ends extending respectively through the curved apertures.

According to another aspect of the invention, a face plate and door handle assembly comprises: a face plate including a face plate hole, and a plurality of hollow posts projecting from the face plate and each having a female screw hole; a fixing plate for attachment to the face plate, which includes a hole, a spring retaining element projecting from the fixing plate oppositely of the face plate, and a plurality of slotted parts protruding from the fixing plate oppositely of the face plate to respectively cover the hollow posts. Each of the slotted parts includes a slot and a fastener extending threadedly into a corresponding one of the hollow posts through the slot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a face plate and door handle assembly embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the face plate and door handle assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a handle knob usable in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of another face plate and door handle assembly embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the face plate and door handle assembly of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a second fixing plate shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a face plate and door handle assembly embodying the present invention is shown to include a face plate 1 and a first fixing plate 2 attached to the face plate 1 on an inner surface of the face plate 1. Preferably, the face plate 1 is provided with a plurality of hollow posts 12 (only one is shown in FIG. 2) projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the face plate 1 and each having a female screw hole 121. The first fixing plate 2 is formed with a plurality of slotted parts 23 having respective slots 231 in alignment with the respective hollow posts 12. Each slotted part 23 protrudes from the first fixing plate 1 to cover the corresponding one of the hollow posts 12, and is fastened to the corresponding hollow post 12 through a fastener or screw 24. The face plate 1 further includes a face plate hole 11 which is surrounded by the hollow posts 12. The first fixing plate 2 further includes a hole 21 aligned with the face plate hole 11, and a substantially L-shaped spring retaining element 22 projecting inwardly from the inner side of the first fixing plate 2 opposite to the face plate 1.

A sleeve member 3 is provided for insertion into the face plate hole 11 and the hole 21, and includes an annular shoulder 31 abutting an outer surface of the face plate 1, and an annular groove 32 formed between the annular shoulder 31 and an end 33 of the sleeve member 3. A retaining ring 6 is received in the annular groove 32 at the inner surface of the face plate 1 opposite to the annular shoulder 31.

A rotary first handle which may be a handle lever designated at 4 has a connection part 40 for insertion into the sleeve member 3. The connection part 40 of the handle lever 4 is hollow and has a protrusion 41 and an aperture 42.

A first returning mechanism 5 for returning the handle lever 4 includes a tubular member 51 having one end connected to a spring support 50 holding a torsion spring 55. The torsion spring 55 has two spring ends 551 that project at two sides of a tab 53 of the spring support 50. Another end of the tubular member 51 extends through the face plate hole 11 and the hole 21 and is inserted into the connection part 40. An engaging member 52 is provided in the tubular member 51 and is biased by a spring 521 to project resiliently outward to engage the aperture 42 of the first connection part 40 so that the tubular member 51 is rotatable along with the handle lever 4. Since the engaging member 52 is conventional, it will not be detailed hereinafter. The tubular member 51 further has an axial groove 54 to receive slidably the protrusion 41 of the handle lever 4.

In assembly, the first fixing plate 2 is fastened to the face plate 1, the sleeve member 3 is inserted into the face plate hole 11 and the hole 21, the connection part 40 is inserted into the sleeve member 3, and the tubular member 51 is inserted into the sleeve member 3 and the connection part 40 and engages therewith through the engaging member 52. The tab 53 of the spring support 50 is aligned with the spring retaining element 22 of the first fixing plate 2 so that the two spring ends 551 extend on two sides of the spring retaining element 22.

When the handle lever 4 is turned, the tubular member 51 and the spring support 50 turn along with the handle lever 4 so that one of the spring ends 551 engages the spring retaining element 22 and the other spring end 551 moves away from the spring retaining element 22. After the handle lever 4 is released, the handle lever 4 is returned to its original position by the restoring force of the torsion spring 55.

As mentioned above, the first fixing plate 2 is of a separate piece from the face plate 1 and is fastened to an inner surface of the face plate 1. Furthermore, the sleeve member 3 is also a separate piece from the face plate 1 and is inserted into the face plate hole 11. As the face plate 1 can be fabricated independently of the first fixing plate 2 and the sleeve member 3, the construction of the face plate 1 is simple and does not have any means for cooperation with the torsion spring 55.

While the handle lever 4 is used in this embodiment, a handle knob 4′, which has a substantially spherical shape as shown in FIG. 3, may be used in place of the handle lever 4.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, another face plate and door handle assembly embodying the present invention is shown to include a face plate 1, a second fixing plate 2′, a bearing ring 35, a rotary second handle 4A and a second returning mechanism 5′. The rotary second handle is a handle lever 4A. The second fixing plate 2′ differs from the first fixing plate 2 in that the fixing plate 2′ is provided with an additional annular collar 25 and two spring retaining elements in the form of bosses 26. The annular collar 25 and the spring retaining elements or bosses 26 project from the inner side of the second fixing plate 2′ oppositely of the face plate 1. The annular collar 25 is formed around the hole 21, whereas the bosses 26 are provided on two sides of the hole 21.

The second returning mechanism 5′ includes a torsion spring 55′ disposed around and held by the annular collar 25. Two spring ends 551′ of the spring 55′ engage respectively the spring retaining elements or bosses 26 (see FIG. 6). The bosses 26 are hollow and may be used to receive fasteners (not shown) which pass through holes 13 of the face plate 1.

A spring support plate 50′ is provided to cover the torsion spring 55′ and the annular collar 25. The spring support plate 50′ includes a hole 501′, for alignment with the face plate hole 11, two substantially opposite curved apertures 57′ on two sides of the hole 501′, two opposite protrusions 56′ between the curved apertures 57′, and two opposite prongs 58′ on two sides of the curved apertures 57′ Each prong 58′ engages one of the spring ends 551′ in a conventional manner.

The handle lever 4A includes a connection part 40A which includes an annular shoulder 41A, two opposite curved ends 42A and two diametrically opposite notches 44A each defined between the curved ends 42A. Each curved end 42A has a retaining groove 43A.

In assembly, the bearing ring 35 is fitted in the face plate hole 11 and abuts with the second fixing plate 2′, and the handle lever 4A is inserted into the bearing ring 35 and the hole 21. The two curved ends 42A of the handle lever 4A respectively extend through the curved apertures 57′ of the spring support plate 50′, and the two protrusions 56′ project into the notches 44A of the handle lever 4A, respectively. The retaining ring 6 is received in the retaining grooves 43A of the curved ends 42A. A washer 61 is provided between the retaining ring 6 and the spring support plate 50′.

The construction of the face plate 1 is used in either one of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the assembly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For assembly with the rotary first handle or handle lever 4 and the first returning mechanism 5, the face plate 1 is used in association with the first fixing plate 2, the sleeve member 3 and the retaining 6. For the rotary second handle or handle lever 4A and the second returning mechanism 5′, the face plate 1 is associated with the second fixing plate 2′, the bearing ring 35 and the retaining ring 6. Therefore, the face plate 1 can be assembled selectively with either one of the handle levers 4 and 4A.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, itis understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A face plate and door handle assembly comprising: a face plate including a face plate hole, and a plurality of hollow posts projecting from said face plate and each having a female screw hole; a fixing plate for attachment to said face plate, which includes a hole, a spring retaining element projecting from said fixing plate oppositely of said face plate, and a plurality of slotted parts protruding from said fixing plate oppositely of said face plate to respectively cover said hollow posts, each of said slotted parts including a slot and a fastener extending threadedly into a corresponding one of said hollow posts through said slot; a rotary handle including a hollow connection part; and a returning mechanism connected to said connection part for returning said rotary handle after said rotary handle is turned, at least one of said connection part and said returning mechanism passing through said face plate hole and said hole of said fixing plate, said returning mechanism including a torsion spring which has two opposite spring ends, at least one of said spring ends being engageable with said spring retaining element.
 2. The face plate and door handle assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sleeve member and a retaining ring, said sleeve member being inserted into said face plate hole and said hole of said fixing plate and including an annular shoulder and an annular groove, said annular shoulder abutting with said face plate opposite to said fixing plate, said retaining ring being received in said annular groove and abutting with said face plate oppositely of said annular shoulder, said connection part extending into said sleeve member.
 3. The face plate and door handle assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said returning mechanism further includes a spring support holding said torsion spring, and a tubular member which has an inner end connected to said spring support, and an outer end extending into said sleeve member and said connection part of said rotary handle and engaging said connection part.
 4. The face plate and door handle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixing plate further includes an annular collar projecting from said fixing plate around said hole of said fixing plate in a direction opposite to said face plate, said torsion spring being disposed around and held by said annular collar.
 5. The face plate and door handle assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said returning mechanism further includes a spring support plate which covers said torsion spring and said annular collar and is provided with a hole substantially aligned with said face plate hole, and two substantially opposite curved apertures on two sides of said hole of said spring support plate.
 6. The face plate and door handle assembly as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a bearing ring fitted in said face plate hole, said connection part extending through said bearing ring and said hole of said fixing plate and including an annular shoulder abutting with said bearing ring, two curved ends extending respectively through said curved apertures, a retaining groove formed in each of said curved ends, and a retaining ring received by said retaining grooves of said curved ends to position said spring support plate on said curved ends.
 7. A kit comprising: a first door handle assembly; a second door handle assembly; and a face plate which can be assembled selectively with either one of said first and second door handle assemblies, said face plate including a face plate hole, wherein said first door handle assembly includes: a first fixing plate for attachment to said face plate, which includes a hole, and a spring retaining element projecting from said first fixing plate opposite to said face plate; a rotary first handle having a connection part; and a first returning mechanism for returning said first handle after said first handle is turned, said first returning mechanism including a tubular member which extends through said face plate hole and said hole of said first fixing plate and has one end inserted into said connection part, and a spring support connected to the other end of said tubular member and holding a torsion spring which has two opposite spring ends, at least one of said spring ends being engageable with said spring retaining element, and wherein said second door handle assembly includes: a second fixing plate for attachment to said face plate, which includes a hole, and a spring retaining element projecting from said second fixing plate oppositely of said face plate; a second returning mechanism including a torsion spring having two spring ends at least one of which is engageable with said spring retaining element of said second fixing plate, and a spring support plate which covers said torsion spring of said second returning mechanism and which has two substantially opposite curved apertures; and a rotary second handle having a connection part extending through said face plate hole and said hole of said second fixing plate and including two curved ends extending respectively through said curved apertures.
 8. The kit as claimed in claim 7, wherein said face plate further includes a plurality of hollow posts projecting from said face plate and each having a female screw hole, each of said first and second fixing plates further including a plurality of slotted parts protruding in a direction opposite to said face plate to respectively cover said hollow posts, each of said slotted parts including a slot for alignment with a corresponding one of said hollow posts, each of said first and second fixing plates further including a plurality of fasteners each of which extends threadedly into a corresponding one of said hollow posts through said slot.
 9. The kit as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a sleeve member and a retaining ring, said sleeve member being inserted into said face plate hole and said hole of said first fixing plate and including an annular shoulder and an annular groove, said annular shoulder abutting with said face plate opposite to said second fixing plate, said retaining ring being received in said annular groove and abutting with said face plate oppositely of said annular shoulder, said connection part of said first handle extending into said sleeve member.
 10. The kit as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second fixing plate further includes an annular collar projecting from said second fixing plate around said hole of said second fixing plate in a direction opposite to said face plate, said torsion spring of said second returning mechanism being disposed around and held by said annular collar.
 11. The kit as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a bearing ring fitted in said face plate hole, said connection part of said second handle extending through said bearing ring and said hole of said second fixing plate and further including an annular shoulder abutting with said bearing ring, a retaining groove formed in each of said curved ends, and a retaining ring received by said retaining grooves of said curved ends to position said spring support plate on said curved ends.
 12. A kit comprising: a first door handle assembly; a second door handle assembly; and a face plate which can be assembled selectively with either one of said first and second door handle assemblies, said face plate including a face plate hole, wherein said first door handle assembly includes: a sleeve member inserted into said face plate hole; a rotary first handle having a connection part extending into said sleeve member; and a first returning mechanism for returning said first handle after said first handle is turned, said first returning mechanism including a torsion spring, and a tubular member which is associated with said torsion spring and which extends into said sleeve member and said connection part; and wherein said second door handle assembly includes: a second returning mechanism including a torsion spring, and a spring support plate supporting said torsion spring of said second returning mechanism and having two substantially opposite curved apertures; and a rotary second handle having a connection part extending through said face plate hole and including two curved ends extending respectively through said curved apertures. 